Tim Mannah, fresh from a yoga session with his teammates, offered a dramatic roll of his eyes when it was put to him in the lead-up to today's game against Newcastle that Parramatta had paid the price for having a pack that was too small and lacked aggression.

The 24-year-old pointed to last weekend's shock win against premiers Manly - which followed four straight losses - as proof there was steel in the besieged Eels' engine room.

''We played against one of the more intimidating packs on Saturday night and I thought we were dominant,'' he said. ''There's always going to be people commenting on different parts of the game and the team but, as long as we're confident in our abilities, what other people think shouldn't affect us. Aggression has changed a lot in rugby league … I think back in the day when aggression was expressed with an elbow to the back of an opponent's head or by putting on a blue. These days the game is so fast and the priority is for a quick play-the-ball or winning the tackle and slowing the guy down when you tackle him.''

Mannah, who was earmarked by his retirement-bound skipper Nathan Hindmarsh as a contender for the Eels captaincy, said it was also his job to help instil self-belief in the club's youth brigade. ''Football really is about believing in yourself,'' he said. ''You can look at a team that mightn't be as strong on paper as others but the bond and the belief they have makes them stronger than their rivals. At Parramatta we have a strong belief and we have a strong team on paper. The sky is the limit here … one reason I'm so passionate about being here is because of the work the coaching staff and recruitment staff are doing, they're building from the ground up. You look at our 15-16 year olds and they're training to play a different style of footy we haven't had here for a long time. I think that is going to start filtering through in the next few years.''

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While Mannah - who will lock horns with fellow NSW aspirant Kade Snowden today - was reluctant to discuss one day being on the list of Eels captains, he said ''natural leadership'' was important an asset for any player.

''You don't need the 'c' next to your name to lead,'' Mannah said. ''Fuifui Moimoi might not be your stereotypical leader but he can make a charge and everything that follows comes off the back of that … I think everyone who plays NRL is a leader on the field, in their community, among their family and friends. [Hindmarsh's advocacy] is something I'd prefer not to talk about because Nathan is still my captain.

''The coach has let everyone know their role and I know I can help the younger boys to be confident in themselves and their ability whether that's leading by example on the field or by the way I talk at training or in the sheds.''